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14 One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God,[a] listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.

Imprisonment at Philippi. 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl with an oracular spirit,[b] who used to bring a large profit to her owners through her fortune-telling.

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Footnotes

  1. 16:14 A worshiper of God: a “God-fearer.” See note on Acts 8:26–40.
  2. 16:16 With an oracular spirit: literally, “with a Python spirit.” The Python was the serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle. It later came to designate a “spirit that pronounced oracles” and also a ventriloquist who, it was thought, had such a spirit in the belly.

14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira(A) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart(B) to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household(C) were baptized,(D) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer,(E) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit(F) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.

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